Guns of the Old West Summer 2022

One of the things I really enjoy about Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) is that it allows me to have a nexus with the Old West. Not only do you get to shoot firearms that are the type used in the Old West, but you also get to dress the part. Depending upon your interests and the “bankroll” you possess, you can dress like a cowboy, horse soldier, outlaw, lawman, gambler or any number of frontier characters. In the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), how you dress, plus the guns and ammunition you carry, can also figure into the CAS shooting category you compete in. Dress or costume categories include Classic Cowboy and B-Western while some of the shooting categories are split between smokeless and black powder cartridges, plus there’s the…

I began Cowboy Action Shooting on a tight budget. With custom gun cart kits ranging into the realm of “more than I could spend and still buy ammunition,” I decided to build my own. It had to be assembled and disassembled without tools, packable in the back of my vehicle along with the guns and other gear and look good hauling shootin’ irons. I researched DIY cowboy carts, finding a variety of designs utilizing the two-wheeled handcart or three-wheeled stroller conversions, but I wanted something different. I wanted a covered wagon. Covered to keep things dry, out of the sun and dust, and something worthy of “style points,” if nothing else. Humble Beginnings My local farm store supplied the foundation—a utility wagon rated for 1,200 pounds. I didn’t think my cowboy guns…

I was in high school when I saw my first issue of GUNS Magazine on the newsstand at the local drug store. Soon I was reading GUNS Magazine, Guns & Ammo, and Gun World magazines every month. I subscribed to Shooting Times when it was newspaper size. I soon became a fan of Elmer Keith who wrote for GUNS and then moved to Guns & Ammo. So, it is logical that my first hardback “gun book” was Keith’s Sixguns, which has become a classic. Legendary holster designer/maker Chic Gaylord’s Handgunner’s Guide soon was acquired and provided great coverage of revolvers and fast draw, gun fighting techniques, and Gaylord’s extensive line of holsters. Another favorite book is legendary U. S. Border Patrol officer Bill Jordan’s No Second Place Winner. I had…

The technical leaps in firearms design permitted by metallic cartridges and the quick-reloading single-shot and repeating rifles that emerged from that were a major factor in the success of post-Civil War American westward expansion. They came at just the right time to tip the scales against the Indians. In the last issue, we looked at how the Army’s new .50-70 metallic cartridge breech-loading Model 1866 Springfield Trapdoor single-shot rifle turned the tide at the Wagon Box fight. Now let’s look at how the firepower of the premier big-bore repeater of the day, the Spencer carbine, did the same at the Battle of Beecher Island, 13 months later in September of 1868. Mount Up Thirty-one-year-old U.S. Army Major Frederick A. Forsyth was hungry for action on the frontier. His problem was there were…

WITH CLASSIC WESTERN STYLING and an economical price tag, the Ruger Wrangler has been a top seller since its introduction in 2019. It has many of the same features as more expensive single-action revolvers, but modern technology, production materials and finish options allow the Wrangler to fit in with almost any budget. Coupled with the low cost of the gun is the relatively inexpensive ammunition. Even with today’s supply chain restrictions and ammo shortages, the .22 LR cartridge is still a bargain and fairly easy to find on sporting goods and gun dealer’s shelves. Initially, the Wrangler was offered with a 4.62-inch barrel and “plow-handle” square-butt grip frame. Finishes were black, silver and burnt bronze Cerakote—all having a black oxide, six-shot cylinder, and black, checkered, two-piece, synthetic grips. Now, Ruger…

The TERM LEGEND has become almost ubiquitous in our modern digital society. The term is attached to everything from social media influencers to pop stars. This is, fortunately, less true in the firearms world as we tend to be more grounded in history and tradition. There are many names that the serious members of the gun community hold in high regard, but the rare air of legend is reserved for ballistic royalty. When names are mentioned in this group, one man is always included—John Bianchi. I had the ultimate pleasure of visiting with John at his home in California. When I arrived, he greeted me warmly at the door and introduced me to his charming wife Nikki. Over the next two days, he shared stories, showed me countless pieces of memorabilia…